SURGE Returns: Back by Popular Demand, Brand Now Available Exclusively on Amazon.com

The guys behind 'The SURGE Movement' toast the return of their beloved brand with Coca-Cola employees.

(Photo Credit: )

Fans thirsty for a
taste of ‘90s nostalgia – or those who are simply craving a citrus-flavored
sparkling beverage with a kick – can rejoice in the news that SURGE is back
after a 12-year hiatus.

SURGE, which
debuted in 1996 and was taken off the market in the early 2000s, is making a comeback
thanks, in part, to a passionate and persistent community of brand loyalists
who have been lobbying The Coca-Cola Company to bring back their favorite drink
over the last few years. SURGE is Coke’s first discontinued brand to return to
the market.

The SURGE re-launch
represents two additional firsts for Coke. The brand, which will be offered in
its original formula in 12-packs of 16-oz. cans featuring the same retro
design from yesteryear, is part of an innovative distribution deal between Coca-Cola and Amazon.
A limited supply of SURGE will be sold exclusively through the online retailer
at www.amazon.com/surge,marking the first time Coke has
distributed a product solely through e-commerce.

“If expectations
are met, this may be only the first of a variety of efforts we explore to
launch niche products through e-commerce relationships,” said Wendy Clark,
president of sparkling and strategic marketing, Coca-Cola North America. “This
will be a great learning experience for us and a refreshing opportunity for
fans.”

Teaming up with Amazon enables Coke to
launch a brand online and closely monitor sales and inventory without
taxing its distribution network.

“In this new
era of marketing, we’re exploring segmented delivery of our portfolio to
consumers,” adds Racquel Mason, associate vice president of sparkling flavors, Coca-Cola
North America. “Previously, a smaller brand would never have had a realistic
shot at commercialization. Now with Amazon, consumers can order a product like
SURGE and have it delivered directly to their doorstep. It’s the
democratization of demand.”

SURGE’s
return also will be Coke’s first launch to rely solely on social and digital
media. The brand will forego all traditional forms of advertising, including TV
and out of home, allowing excitement to build online (follow the brand's journey on Twitter: @SURGE).

Blast from the Past

SURGE amassed a cult-like following in
the ‘90s and early 2000s. “People loved its bright green color and bold
citrus taste, as well as its quirky sense of humor,” explains Mason. “SURGE
delivered a differentiated product experience, and we’re excited to bring it
back.”

The SURGE fanbase
has only gotten more vocal in the brand’s absence,
spawning creative online fan groups including “The SURGE Movement,” which
has amassed more than 128,000 Facebook fans in just a few years.

The three male Millennials behind the movement –
Evan Carr, Sean Sheridan and Matt Winans – have pooled ideas and funding to
prove to The Coca-Cola Company that demand for SURGE is stronger than ever.

The SURGE Movement raised nearly
$4,000 in 2013 tobuy a billboard (which they designed) about a half-mile from Coke’s
Atlanta headquarters. The copy read: "Dear Coke, we couldn't buy SURGE, so
we bought this billboard instead" and directed people to visit the
movement'sFacebook page.

The group also has organized
"SURGE-ing days" where members called Coke’s consumer affairs hotline
en masse to lobby for their beloved beverage’s return. In addition, they sent handwritten holiday
cards to Coke asking to bring back SURGE for Christmas, created their own commercials on YouTube, and
even landed a story on CNN Money.

Eventually,
their creativity and passionate pleas caught the company’s attention.

“They’ve
inspired us,” Mason said. “More than 128,000 people a dozen years after a brand
left the market saying, ‘Please bring it back!’ That’s the best compliment any
brand could hope for.”

When Coke decided to give SURGE an encore, the
guys behind the movement were among the first to know. Earlier this month, Carr, Sheridan and Winans met for the first time at
a surprise welcome party at Coke headquarters, which appropriately included SURGE t-shirts, products, ‘90s
music and even a SURGE cake.

“This
is the ultimate test… we’re leaving it in the hands of SURGE fans,” Mason adds.
“Can 128,000 fans build and sustain a brand? We’ll see.”

Carr, for one, is optimistic. “I
can't wait to readand see people’s reactions,” the 26-year-old San
Jose, Calif. resident said. “There will be a lot of adults feeling like kids on
Christmas morning.”

Stay
tuned for an interview with the guys behind The SURGE Movement. And visit SURGE.com for the latest updates.